Ties of the heart

The ties of the heart last longer.

Religion

One of the pitfalls of religion is that often it is more about men than about God. The focus is more on the code, the norm, the customs and traditions, than a personal relationship with God. Religion gives the impression that for as long as all the do's and don't have been complied with, I am "okay" with God.
This is very much what Jesus is against. God doesn't need our perfect rituals or our unblemished conscience. God doesn't even need our good works. It is we who need those good works because they are expressions of how "the mind and the heart" of Jesus have become our own.
What does God want of us? A contrite heart and a humble spirit; that is, an acknowledgment that all that we are depends on Him. God wants us to live in gratitude and trust. These are not negative qualities of dependence, but a realistic acceptance of the truth.

Harmony

Harmony is only possible when there are differences.

Jesus

If we think that Jesus takes away our joy, we haven't met the right Jesus.

Laughing at oneself

Maria

Mary is the human creature closest to Jesus, flesh of her own flesh.
Mary is the human creature closest to what God designed His human creation to be.
Mary is the human creature closest to us, humanity on a journey, as we go through the ebbs and flows of life.

Consequences

To act without accountability is not an expression of freedom. Indeed, every decision we make has a consequence, sooner or later. The consequences may affect us directly, but the consequences of these consequences will surely affect us in the long term.
It is a paradox but, in order to act free and to stay free, we have to choose to be responsible.